


Two steps forward

by AndromedaSmith



Series: Across Time [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, KaraMel, KaramelValenteen2020, Long-Distance Relationship, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22297456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndromedaSmith/pseuds/AndromedaSmith
Summary: Mon-El and Kara’s post-S3 reunion. Which of course doesn’t go quite as expected.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers/Mon-El
Series: Across Time [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985263
Comments: 28
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during mid-S4. Can - but doesn’t have to - be read as a sequel to my earlier “Geminids”. The only non-canon backstory is that, after the S3 finale, Kara and Mon-El exchanged messages where they each declared that they hoped to get back together and Kara was told that Mon-El and Imra’s marriage is over.

A tiny purple disruption opened over the center of the DEO’s main floor. Something small and round fell out and dropped ten feet to the floor, landing with a _plink_ as the disruption disappeared.

The disruption had come and gone too quickly and quietly for any of the DEO agents to notice. The noise of the device hitting the floor caused several of them to look up as alarms began to sound. Brainy was the first to reach it, followed closely by Alex; two black-clad agents followed with weapons drawn. Brainy picked up the baseball-sized sphere, running his thumb over what appeared to be scorch marks on its surface. He turned to Alex.

“Interesting: it appears to be a message sphere like those used in the thirty-first century. But it’s been damaged. I will attempt to reconstruct the message.”

Alex faced the agents behind them: “Tran, Velasquez, stand down. Good response times, both of you.” She gave the orders in a friendly manner, consciously trying to make her command style different from Colonel Haley’s. Alex gestured to an agent at one of the watch stations and the alarms stopped. Turning back to Brainy she said, “Brainy, I’ll be in my office. Let me know when you have something.”

While Alex talked to the agents, Brainy had been twisting and turning the sphere, sliding his fingers around it in complex patterns. “Almost… there!” He held up the sphere and an audio recording began to play. The sound was scratchy, the voice difficult to pick out, but it was unmistakably Mon-El: “.. Supergirl.. get this in time … need your help.”

* * *

A few hours later, Kara stood in Alex’s DEO office in as they listened to the audio message again. Listening to Mon-El’s voice, she felt her heart begin to pound and her face begin to flush. She would know that voice anywhere, remembered nearly everything it had ever said to her.

“Brainy wasn’t able to retrieve any more of the audio recording, so we don’t know what the situation is or why Mon-El needs your help,” Alex explained. “But there was some technical information attached to the message, giving instructions on how to use the sphere to open a temporary time window.”

“Time window? Like a transmat portal?” Kara asked, her face unreadable.

“Right,” Alex replied, “but it looks like the window can only be opened twice, about 48 hours apart. And the optimum time for the first opening is about six hours from now.” She paused. “Kara, I don’t like this. The voice recording could be faked. It could be a trap. We don’t know how this tech works; even Brainy says he hasn’t seen anything exactly like it before.. If the tech fails, you could be stuck in the future. Or never get there.”

“Alex. I have to go. Mon-El and the Legion came back to help us with Reign,” Kara argued, “we can’t just ignore them when they need our help. Supergirl being out of sight for a few days might be just what‘s needed to calm down the situation in National City. And it might get Haley off your back for a while too.” 

Alex’s face softened as she caught Kara’s eyes. “That’s not why you really want to go, though, is it?” she asked. Kara hadn’t talked about Mon-El much since he left the second time, but Alex knew her sister still thought about him, wondered if they would ever reunite. 

Kara’s eyes darkened as she looked away from Alex. “It’s not the only reason. You know where we left things, Alex. If there’s a chance to see him again.. I have to try.”

Alex sighed and reached out to squeeze Kara’s shoulder. “I know you do, and I can’t blame you. Brainy is working on the time window device now. Let’s get you ready to go.”

* * *

Carrying a duffel bag, Kara followed Brainy as he strode down a DEO hallway reading a checklist from the tablet he carried.

“Anti-Kryptonite suit?”

“Check.”

“Legion ring?”

“Check.”

“Extra comm unit?”

“Check. Hey, what about civilian clothes? What do people wear in the thirty-first century?”

“Since there will be no need to conceal your identity, your Supergirl suit may be sufficient. Although, should you wish to take extra clothing, Nia Nal has mentioned to me that Kara Danvers has the best collection of ’bunny pyjamas’ she has ever seen.” Kara smiled and a small giggle almost escaped from her lips. Brainy’s observations about twenty-first century life always made her smile and helped to push away the nervousness about seeing Mon-El again and the unknown emergency in the future.

“You —“ Brainy started, then stopped himself.

“What?” Kara responded.

“You could also plan to borrow some female clothing from the Legionnaires: Imra’s body dimensions should be compatible with yours,” he finished.

Kara’s pending giggle vanished. _Imra. That wasn’t going to be awkward._

“You know, Brainy, I think I’m ready. Let’s get me out of here.”

* * *

Kara stepped through the time window as, unbeknownst to her, Winn Schott crossed though in the other direction. Her first impression of the thirty-first century was the sense of a brightly-lit place, like the Legion ship. The bustle of activity that she was used to at the DEO was absent, and for a crisis situation where her help was needed, the small room where she arrived seemed strangely quiet. 

Mon-El was standing right in front of the portal as she stepped forward. She barely had time to take in the smile on his face and the light in his eyes before he swept her into his arms. “Kara,” he breathed, somehow expressing years’ worth of longing and loneliness in a single word. 

Kara dropped the duffel bag as she returned Mon-El’s embrace. She held on tight, not trusting herself to speak, just breathing in his scent and relaxing into the warmth of his arms. An embrace she could feel and return in kind, without the worry of gasping lungs or cracking ribs. They stayed that way for a long time, swaying slightly as Mon-El raised a hand to stroke Kara’s back and run his fingers through her hair. 

He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, squeezed her tight then pulled back slightly to touch his forehead to hers and look into her eyes. Kara let out a sigh as Mon-El whispered, “I’m so glad you came. I missed you so much.” She returned his gaze and answered his small smile with one of her own, reaching down to grasp both of his hands. His hands were so big in hers, strong and warm.

“Me too.” Kara could barely get the words out past the lump in her throat. She was here with him and it felt like home at last. She swallowed and tried to focus on her surroundings, not the fluttery feeling in her stomach at the feeling of his body so close to hers and the piercing regard of his steel-gray eyes. “Of course I came. Every time, remember?” she grinned. His lips curved upwards in return.

She didn’t want to take her eyes from his face. Her gaze dropped to his lips as she imagined what it would be like to kiss him again. From the soft, faraway expression on Mon-El’s face she guessed he was having similar thoughts. Was this really their chance to start again? How? They had both pushed their feelings away for so long, and there was a crisis to deal with. Kara inhaled and leaned away from Mon-El, dropping one of his hands as a flicker of something .. disappointment?.. crossed his face.

“So what’s the emergency? Your message didn’t come through clearly, so I tried to come ready for anything.” Kara indicated the duffel bag with her free hand.

Mon-El brought up his free hand to scratch his chin, looking puzzled, and Kara realized for the first time that Mon-El was dressed in what looked to be the thirty-first century’s version of casual clothing, not his black Legion uniform or the red-and-blue caped suit in which she’d last seen him. “Kara, I’m sorry if I took you away from something urgent,” he said seriously. “There’s no—”

The lighting in the room changed to blue as a low, booming chime began to sound. “—emergency. Of course there is.” he finished with a sigh. “This way!” Mon-El said as he took Kara’s hand and led her through a doorway.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets the Legion as they try to figure out what to make of a mysterious visitor.

Mon-El led Kara down a hallway and into a room that looked a lot more like what she’d been expecting for Legion headquarters. It reminded her of the control room of the Legion ship, with a large electronic screen and people in black uniforms standing at consoles. There was a window, too; they were clearly on a planet. Kara tested her super-hearing and X-ray vision. Still there, so they were on Earth, or some other planet orbiting a yellow sun.

“What’s the situation?” Mon-El asked with authority, startling Kara from her reverie and reminding her that he was the leader here. 

A young, dark-haired human-looking woman  _ (not Imra_, Kara noted with some relief) turned from her seat and did a double-take at the sight of Kara. “Supergirl!” she exclaimed, then got control of her excitement as she responded to Mon-El. “Tracking an unidentified ship entering Earth orbit.” 

“Hostile?” Mon-El asked, scanning the diagrams on the large screen.

“Sub-light engines, no energy signatures or weapons that I can detect,” the woman replied. “Still trying to identify the ship design. The closest match in our database is .. post-cataclysm Daxamite?”

Mon-El’s hand clenched around Kara’s, reminding her that she was still holding it. When he returned to the twenty-first century last year, Mon-El had never mentioned the fate of the Daxamite fleet they had driven from Earth after Rhea’s defeat. Could they be back? What if they had developed their own antidote to the atmospheric lead? For very good time-traveller reasons, Mon-El hadn’t told her much about the future. Kara wondered what that might mean for  _ their _ future - what kind of secrets would he have to keep from her?

“Can’t be,” he said from between gritted teeth. Kara felt Mon-El’s tension and squeezed his hand gently. He shot her a grateful look as she felt him relax. He disentangled his hand from hers as he moved to stand in the center of the room. Kara stayed where she was, trying not to goggle like a complete tourist.

“Scramble the cruiser to intercept.” Mon-El addressed another Legionnaire, a humanoid with orange skin, pointed ears, and a serious demeanor. Kara recognized him as a Durlan, a member of a race of shapeshifters she had learned about in her Kryptonian education. The same species whose emissary had told a young Mon-El about a secret planet with water and a yellow sun, that Kara had found herself thinking about more than she would have liked to admit. She brought her attention back to the present.

“On their way. About five minutes,” was the Durlan’s deep-voiced response.

“Anything else incoming on the same trajectory? Can you track it back to estimate the origin?” Mon-El asked a third Legionnaire, a younger human-looking man with red hair.

The man responded, “Nothing I can detect, and I’m working on it. In the meantime, Mon-El, are you going to introduce us to your guest?” He looked pointedly at Kara as she stood by herself in the back of the room, seeming a little lost.

“We’re kind of busy here,” Mon-El shot back, then, reconsidering, stepped back to Kara and placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the center of the room. 

“Everyone, this is Kara Zor-El, better known to history as Supergirl. It’s about time you met our long-distance Legionnaire.” Just for a moment, Mon-El’s eyes focused only on Kara and she felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Perhaps sensing Kara’s embarrassment, the third Legionnaire grinned at her. “Of course we know who you are, Kara, as if Mon-El wasn’t giving it away. I’m Garth.”

Kara glanced at the young woman, who smiled brilliantly at Kara. “I’m Nora. It’s so great to meet you!”

The second Legionnaire who had spoken introduced himself as Reep.

“Thanks everyone,” Kara replied. Just then, her mind jumped to the worst possible implication of a certain absence.  _ Oh no, it couldn’t be.. _ She turned to Mon-El and lowered her voice. “Where’s Winn?”

Mon-El caught the worry in Kara’s voice and quickly reassured her. “He crossed through the time window going the other way, when you did. We really need some time to explain all this.” 

A voice sounded in the air, “Legion command, we’re approaching the ship. No communications, we can’t penetrate the ship’s armor to scan for life forms.”

“That ship is big enough to carry hundreds, maybe thousands,” Reep warned. 

“It hasn’t done anything hostile yet,” Mon-El replied. “Hang on,” he responded to the Legion crew, “see what it does.”

Mon-El stepped slightly away from Kara again, his attention focused on the large screen as he brought a hand up to his still-bearded jaw. Kara scanned the room. Nora was tapping at her console with one hand and drumming the fingers of her other hand against it. Reep was frowning at his console, which showed what looked like an orbital analysis of near-Earth space. Kara felt useless - she wasn’t familiar with the situation or the technology and couldn’t do anything to help. Was she making things worse by distracting Mon-El? 

From the Legion ship: “We’ve matched trajectories, keeping station at a distance of one hundred kilometres. Now detecting a neutrino surge from the alien ship..”

A sudden crackle issued from the audio feed. “Legion command, we are disabled. The neutrino burst burned out our engines and weapons. Life support and comms are functional. Our orbit is stable but we estimate at least an hour until we’re mobile.”

It didn’t take Kara’s super-hearing to notice Mon-El’s sharp intake of breath. She listened for his heartbeat - she would know that heartbeat anywhere - and found it steady. He was so calm.  _ So much for distracting_, Kara thought, unable to suppress a twinge of disappointment that Mon-El was able to block out her presence. Between being close to him for the first time in so long and her inability to help the Legion, she was ready to crawl out of her skin.

Garth looked up from his console. “The alien ship is breaking orbit and entering the atmosphere. Its trajectory will bring it over us in about two minutes.”

Kara sighted out the window. Finally, something for her to do: she had stopped the frigate that Cadmus had tried to use to deport aliens from Earth, she could do this. “I can get to the ship, slow it down. How do I get out of here?”

“Kara, no,” Mon-El stated firmly. “It’s too great a risk to the timeline. You need to get back home in one piece. You can’t get injured here.”  _ And I can’t watch you get hurt again, _ Kara could just about hear him think as his brow furrowed. “We have ships and lots of people who can fly.”

As if to emphasize his point, two Legionnaires could be seen streaking through the sky in the direction of the ship. 

“But how many of them have super-strength?” Kara answered. “If you don’t want me to go by myself, you and I could slow it down, buy time to figure out what’s going on.”

“I need to be here, Kara. And I need you here too,” Mon-El’s voice was a little harsher, more commanding.

“Mon-El, you brought me here, said you needed my help, but don’t want me to get hurt? You were the one who said I was a Legionnaire. And I’m still Supergirl.” Kara responded, a little more loudly than she intended. The Legionnaires around them tried to look busy in some other direction. They were Mon-El’s colleagues and friends, Kara realized. They would know his history and her story.

Mon-El turned to face Kara, gently squeezing her upper arms. “Kara, I don’t know what happened with the message but that’s not why I asked you to come,” Mon-El replied in a lower voice. “I’ll explain, I promise. Just trust me, OK?”

“I trust you,” she answered quietly. _ This was so hard _ , she thought to herself. Between the unfamiliar surroundings and not knowing how to interact with Mon-El, her nerves were already frayed. It would help if she could punch something. She just needed to punch something.

A new voice echoed over the room’s audio feed, the wind noise indicating it to be report from the Legionnaires near the ship. “We’ve reached the ship, matching velocities. Still no indicators of life on board - no ports or other external access that we can see. No markings, but it looks like the ship has been in space a long time. No neutrino emission.”

Garth spoke from his seat, now with some tension in his voice. “Same trajectory. The ship will be directly over us in fifteen seconds.”

An artificial-sounding voice loudly reported “Defence grid activated” as a series of red lines appeared outside the window and on the console Reep was monitoring. On Garth’s console, Kara could see the schematic of the alien ship come to a stop directly over the Legion building. The room seemed to hold its breath.

Once more the room’s audio feed crackled. Finally, maybe they would find out what was going on. A voice echoed through the the Legion control room, with an accent Kara found oddly familiar. “We request the presence of your Daxamite leader and his Kryptonian mate.” 

Kara and Mon-El stared at each other in bewilderment. How could whoever or whatever was on that ship even know she was here? They spoke simultaneously: “she’s—” “his  _ what _ ?” 

In the center of the room, a transport beam outlined a circle on the floor, sparkling green around its circumference. The voice boomed again. “Failure to comply will result in the immediate destruction of this structure.” As if to emphasize the threat, the building vibrated slightly under their feet.

Reep spoke up. “They’re bluffing, Mon-El. The defence grid could handle that neutrino surge, no problem.” Mon-El’s expression was stony, his jaw firm. “That might not be all they’ve got. Are you willing to take that chance?” he asked.

Mon-El turned to look at Kara. She met his eyes and a shared, determined expression appeared on both their faces. Without a word, they stepped together into the transport beam and vanished.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted a few hours before “Back From the Future, Part 1” (5x11) airs. Becomes AU after that, I suppose.
> 
> Pointers to good sources on the Legion, beyond the Wikipedia page, would be most appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past catches up with our heroes. And smacks them in the back of the head.

Mon-El and Kara materialized in a small, bare, red-lit room that resembled the DEO’s holding cells. There were no obvious doors or windows, nothing within the room itself. Separately and together they tried their super-strength against the walls. Nothing. Kara tried her heat vision on the floor, to a yelp from Mon-El as he dodged the reflected beam before it dispersed. Her fading X-ray vision revealed nothing beyond the cell.

“Must be lead-lined,” Kara panted. Both tried their comms. Nothing.

Out of breath from the effort of trying to break out, feeling their strength start to ebb as the red lamps did their work, they sank to the floor side-by-side. Sitting with his knees raised and his back to the wall, Mon-El flashed back to the time he’d spent in the DEO cells, when he first arrived on Earth, in quarantine with the Medusa virus, when he came back with the Legion ship. So many memories. 

He glanced over at Kara to see if he could see the same thoughts playing across her face. She looked a little lost in thought, a little nervous. Understandable. _Grife, this was not what he had planned. How was he going to make this up to her?_ He could start with the explanation he’d promised.

“Haven’t we been here before? At least we’re in the same cell this time,” Mon-El quipped. That eased the tension and Kara turned to him with the tiniest of smiles. _That smile. Those eyes_. “Kara, I have no idea what this place is or why we’re here,” he continued. “But we need to rest anyway, so at least I can explain why I asked you to come to the future.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything. Was she angry with him? Or just exhausted by the red sun lamps? Mon-El put his hand on Kara’s knee next to his. She didn’t respond, but she didn’t move away. 

Mon-El kept going, “Brainy and Imra never told me during all the years I spent trying to get back to you, but the Legion has time travel capability that doesn’t require a disruption. Since we came back to fight against Brainiac, we haven’t been able to use it. If he detects its signature, he can use it to triangulate the space time location of our temporal command post.”

“A couple of days ago, Winn discovered that a high-velocity primordial black hole was going to pass through the solar system. He worked out that we could use it to open a temporary, two-way time window that could be completely undetectable. Winn really wanted to visit his mom and I…. missed you so much and I really wanted to see you again, even if it was just for a little while.. so.. here we are,” Mon-El finished.

He looked over at Kara, whose expression was still unreadable. _Does she think I’m selfish for using a time window just to see her again?_ he thought. _Maybe I am._

“Why didn’t you both just come to our time? Wouldn’t that have been simpler?” Kara asked.

“For the window to work, the transits needed to be symmetric,” Mon-El explained. “Someone had to pass through in either direction. That was in the message I sent.” 

“The sphere was damaged. All we got out of the message was ‘.. Supergirl.. get this in time … need your help’,” Kara replied. 

Mon-El groaned as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. “Oh Kara, I totally get it. No wonder you showed up ready for battle. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to panic you. I can’t remember exactly what I said but it was something like ‘I hope you don’t mind that I hope you can take a few days off from being Supergirl. There’s a chance for us to be together for a few days if you get this in time. We need your help to initiate a two-way time window..’ and then some technical details..” Mon-El trailed off.

His stomach started to flip-flop as he waited for Kara’s reaction.

Kara looked down at Mon-El’s hand resting on her knee at they sat together against the wall. She reached out and took his hand. “Mon-El, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just a lot to take in. A day ago, I had no idea I would ever see you again, and now I’m here, and now we’re here” - she indicated the cell around them. She glanced at him. The small smile was back on her lips.

Mon-El exhaled, not realizing he’d been holding his breath. She wasn’t mad at him. The warmth of her touch was both comforting and .. exciting? He tried to push the excitement down — they were trapped, doubtless being monitored— but he felt a rising urge to pull Kara to him and kiss her, show her how much he really had missed her. He fought it. _Now was not the time_. _Focus_.

“No kidding,” Mon-El chuckled. “We have been in too many cells. You remember when CADMUS kidnapped us?” She nodded. “They interrupted just as I was about to tell you that I was the prince of Daxam.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “How would that have changed things between us?” he wondered. 

“I don’t know, Mon-El,” Kara answered, seriously. “But we could make ourselves crazy with what-might-have-been. I think we need to focus on going forward. Like getting out of this cell.” Her left fingers stroked lightly over the back of his right hand, brushing the Legion ring. “Daxam. You reacted pretty strongly when Nora said the ship looked Daxamite. I know you have to be careful about the timeline, but can you tell me anything that might help?” she asked.

“Not much to tell,” he replied. “There’s no record of the Daxamite fleet trying to return to Earth, or sightings of them elsewhere in the galaxy. It’s as if they just vanished,” Mon-El spoke tentatively, hesitantly. His voice slowed as the exhaustion of the last few hours crept up on him, joined by the long-buried ache of his guilt over surviving the loss of Daxam.

“But..” Kara prompted, sliding her body over so their shoulders and hips touched. Mon-El could feel her support. _She was so strong. And beautiful. So beautiful._

“I’ve been thinking about them lately,” he muttered. “Where did they go, who is leading them now that my parents are gone? I have a duty to the Legion but do I also have one to try and find the survivors of Daxam? I wasn’t the right person to do that eight years ago. I’ve changed a lot since then. How do I—“ This was not what he had expected to be talking about with Kara when she stepped through the portal. 

“Shhh.” Kara pulled him closer, laid a finger across his lips and a kiss on his temple. “One thing at a time. First we get some rest, then we get out of here, then you think about duty.” She drew her cape around them as she snuggled closer to Mon-El. “Too bad we don’t have your cape, but mine will do,” she mumbled sleepily.

He shifted positions to wrap his arms around her. _Home_. His planet of birth might be gone, but her embrace was a better home. He hoped she felt the same. 

Her words confirmed, “This wasn’t where I expected to end the day but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. It’s so good to be with you again, Mon-El.” Kara let out a yawn; Mon-El’s arms tightened around her as they both drifted off to an exhausted sleep.

* * *

They awoke to the appearance of a hologram in the cell. The older female humanoid was dressed in a style Mon-El recognized as simplified Daxamite business dress. When she spoke, it was with the same voice that had threatened the Legion headquarters: authoritative and unhesitating.

“Mon-El of Daxam. Kara Zor-El of Krypton. I am Shar-Lin, spokesperson for the reformed Daxamite federation. We have brought you here to request your help. You are in no danger.” 

Mon-El and Kara unwound Kara’s cape from around themselves as they stood up, eyes wide in surprise. Mon-El felt a weight lift that he hadn’t known he was carrying. _Daxam wasn’t lost. But how and why?_ Kara put a hand on his shoulder, as if she could somehow feel his combined relief and bewilderment. 

The woman continued. “I’m sure you’re wondering how we got here. After the battle of Earth, the remaining Daxamite fleet retreated. Without the transmatter portal, we could travel only at sub-light speeds. We accelerated our ships to near the speed of light, effectively allowing us to time-travel into the future. Our plan was to return to Daxam in hope that after time had passed it would be habitable again. Sadly, arriving about 500 years ago, we found this not to be the case.”

“Actually, we were wondering why we’re locked in here—” Mon-El interrupted. The hologram continued as if he hadn’t spoken.

“While we were travelling, time passed aboard the ships much more slowly. Only about 10 years passed on our way to Daxam, but that was enough for those of us who remained to transform our society away from an aristocracy. We wanted to settle on a planet but with both Daxam and Krypton destroyed, there was nowhere for us to go. We decided to return to Earth with the hope that, after a millennium, the people of Earth could forgive us and help us to find a home.” 

The hologram paused. Mon-El and Kara turned their attention from the hologram to each other. She squeezed his shoulder and he flashed her a grateful smile. Mon-El realized that she probably had a good idea of how he was feeling; their discovery of Argo City must have felt something like this for her.

The hologram of Shar-Lin began speaking again. “On re-entering the Sol system, we paused in the Oort Cloud to catch up with a thousand years of history and assess our chances of a favorable reception. Imagine our astonishment to find out that somehow, the last of Daxam’s royal family was still alive! Your Highness Mon-El, we bear you no ill will for standing against your mother during the battle of Earth. Her plan was evil and we are grateful for your resistance.”

It was Kara’s turn. “We’d both be grateful if you’d let us out of here,” she raised her voice. Again the hologram continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

“It had been our intention to request that you return to lead us as a constitutional monarch, but our long-range intelligence gathering made clear your importance to the Legion and to Earth. We will not ask you to abandon either.”

Relief and guilt fought in Mon-El’s face as his forehead creased and his jaw clenched and unclenched. The Daxamites didn’t need him. _But what did they want?_

The hologram went on. “When we arrived in Earth orbit and detected female Kryptonian life signs in proximity to you, we deduced that Kara Zor-El must have survived into this era. Kara Zor-El, we are indebted to you for your resistance as well.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied automatically, the relief showing on her face changing to incredulity as she heard the hologram’s final words.

“We ask one more great gift from both of you: will you provide us with your genetic codes? We wish to carry on the history of both our peoples by combining the best of Krypton and Daxam to create an heir for the Daxamite royal line.”

Mon-El and Kara didn’t have to look at one another for their answer to be unanimous and immediate: “No!” “Absolutely not!”

The hologram winked out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> History tries to repeat itself and gets thoroughly confused.

The atmosphere at Legion headquarters was tense but controlled. Legionnaires tapped at consoles, frowned at screens, and spoke quietly as they planned their next move against the mysterious ship that had Mon-El and Kara captive.

A voice came over the audio feed: “Legion control, we are operational.” The cruiser that had intercepted the alien ship had power again. It had taken a lot longer than their original estimate of an hour, long enough for the alien ship to leave its position above their building and resume Earth orbit.

“Engage stealth mode and rendezvous with the alien ship,” Reep ordered.

“Already on our way,” was the response.

“Got it!” Garth exclaimed to the room at large. “I’ve back-traced the ship’s trajectory and I know where it came from.”

“Daxam? Krypton?” asked Nora.

“Surprisingly, neither,” Garth replied. “Everything I’ve got indicates it’s—“

He was interrupted by the audio link to the Legion ship. “We’ve matched their orbit, holding station 200 kilometres back. No sign of the neutrino emissions. We don’t think they’ve detected us.”

Reep responded: “Close on their position slowly. Scan for life signs when you’re in range.”

Legion HQ was silent while everyone waited for the cruiser to reach the alien ship. Covering two hundred kilometres at orbital speeds only takes about half a minute, but it felt like a decade.

“They’re in position,” Garth reported.

From the cruiser came the report. “Reading life signs: one Kryptonian, one Daxamite. Nothing else.”

The Legion headquarters breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Legionnaires looked in puzzlement at one another - why no other life signs? But that was a problem for later.

“Let’s get them back.” 

* * *

Kara and Mon-El stood side by side in the tiny cell staring at the place where the hologram had been, then at one another.

“This ... is getting weirder.”

“Yeah.”

“When I said ‘no,’ I wasn’t saying no to .. you know, someday... but I’m not handing over my DNA to just anyone.”

“I get it.”

“So if the Daxamites are so reformed and grateful, why are we in this cell?”

“Reformed could mean a lot of things. You don’t change a society with a ruling class built on deception and political maneuvering overnight.” Mon-El sounded thoughtful.

He moved away from her to pace around the tiny cell. “Should I go with them? I wasn’t ready to do that, when my parents came. But now I could be.”

_Not again_. “Mon-El, no! What about the Legion? Brainiac?”

“The Legion has leaders. Daxam doesn’t have a spare former crown prince. My parents were so good at wiping out their rivals that there’s no one else in the line of succession. That means a civil war between families with equal claims to the throne.” His voice was flat, resigned.

“One five-minute conversation and you know all about a society you haven’t belonged to for decades? Constitutional monarchies don’t have wars of succession,” Kara argued.

“Benefit of experience. I see Daxam more clearly than I used to.” His voice was deeper, sadder. “Kara, we have to get you back to the Legion before the time window opens again. This is the only way.” 

_Not again. This couldn’t be happening again_. Kara grabbed his shoulders. “Mon-El, look at me. You are not going to sacrifice yourself. We’ll find another way.”

Mon-El turned from her to face a wall. “Shar-Lin!” he called. “We are ready to discuss your request—” 

“We are not!” Kara interrupted. 

“—but you need to release us from this cell,” he finished. 

The floor of the cell opened up and they were falling. The ship’s artificial gravity was less than Earth normal; there was just enough time for Mon-El to activate his Legion ring and grab Kara before they hit the floor of the room below.

“Thanks,” Kara exhaled. Despite her frustration with him, she couldn’t muster the will to immediately free herself from his hold.

“Daxamite humour,” he muttered. She rolled her eyes in response.

They were now in a larger room. Same impenetrable walls and red lighting, but this time with a long bench and a doorway in one corner. The hologram of Shar-Lin reappeared. “Your Highness. Thank you for your willingness to discuss our proposal. How may we assist you?”

Mon-El unwound his arms from around Kara and faced the hologram. “I need to understand more about what’s going on here. Why did you detain us? Why the red sunlamps? Where is everyone? Why couldn’t we detect any life signs aboard the ship?” 

“We apologize for the lack of respect in your detention, Mon-El and Kara Zor-El. Our defence corps is sometimes .. overenthusiastic.”

A grimace crossed Mon-El’s face; Kara could see him reliving, again, the last time he’d been held captive on a Daxamite ship, when his parents arrived.

“As for the red sun lamps, during our voyage we found that maintaining lighting on the ship which closely matched the spectrum of Rao was beneficial to our people’s health. Life signs are undetectable because most of our people are in cryo-sleep as necessitated by the long travel time.”

Kara watched Mon-El’s eyes roam the room, seemingly searching for something. He brought his attention back to the hologram, scrutinizing it carefully. His eyes widened briefly then focused on the hologram’s face.

“I see. We accept your apology. Thank you for the explanation.”

Kara didn’t know what to think. _Why was Mon-El calmly chatting with a hologram of their captors? Was he really going to agree to a request to become a figurehead king?_

“We hope that answers your questions. We ask if you have re-considered our request for access to your genetic code? We would be truly honoured by your contribution to the future of the Daxamite republic.”

“I have a question!” Kara shouted. “Why don’t you show yourselves? Talk with us face-to-face and not through a hologram?” Once again the hologram ignored her.

Mon-El idly twisted his Legion ring with the fingers of his left hand. He exhaled, appearing to come to a decision.

“I accept your request to become part of Daxam’s leadership on the condition that you release Kara Zor-El. She is needed elsewhere.”

“As you wish, Your Highness. We are most grateful for your agreement. And our other request?”

“I will discuss this further with Kara Zor-El, in private. Leave us,” he commanded.

Kara noted the change in Mon-El’s tone of voice. It wasn’t the measured, calm voice of the Legion leader she’d heard earlier; there was a brittle edge to it, like in his mother’s voice so long ago. It didn’t sound like him.

In the hologram image, Shar-Lin bowed. “It is a privilege to witness your care for Kara Zor-El, Your Highness. I will confer with the leadership while you complete your discussions.”

The hologram disappeared.

He faced her, cradled her head in his hands. She could see sadness in his eyes, but something about his mouth didn’t seem to match the rest of his expression.

“Kara, I have to go with them and you have to go back.” Mon-El gently kissed her forehead. “Please, think about what they’ve asked. It would mean so much to carry on our legacy.”

Kara couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She got him back, now she was going to lose him again? _Wait, what was going on with his eye? Tears? Dirt?_

“Mon-El! I’m not leaving you, and I’m absolutely not giving anyone my DNA!” Kara protested.

“Kara. Trust me. There’s still a future for us. Remember everything we’ve been through? Remember when I had the Medusa virus?”

“How could I forget?”

Kara locked eyes with Mon-El as he reached out to push a lock of her hair behind her ear, then slowly, ever so slowly, pulled her to him and brought their lips together. She knew what was coming, had imagined it for so long. Kara still felt a shock like electricity coursing through her as they kissed for the first time in...a thousand years. It might have been a millennium, but that feeling of his lips against hers, the vibration in her jaw as he hummed a soft contented “mmm,” was as familiar as if their last kiss had been yesterday.

Without breaking the kiss, Mon-El took Kara’s left hand and held it over his heart. She could feel his heart racing, like her own. Then he did something completely unexpected. He lightly tapped one of Kara’s fingers against his Legion ring then touched the ring finger on her hand. Was he asking if she had her own ring? “Mmm-hmm,” she responded. It wasn’t as though she had to fake her enjoyment of the kiss. He cupped her face with his hands and quickly tapped her temple with his thumb before running his fingers through her hair. Reminding her that the ring provided a psychic shield. 

_How was he multitasking like this?_ It was all Kara could do to pull her attention away long enough to find her Legion ring in its secret pocket. She let herself get lost for a moment longer in the feeling of his lips against hers, his body pressed close to hers, before breaking the kiss, breathless. 

The words just slipped out of her mouth. “I love you, Mon-El.” 

She was rewarded by a small, sad, smile on his face that completely did _not_ match the joy in his eyes. She wasn’t quite sure what Mon-El had up his sleeve, but he seemed to know what he was doing; she trusted him. Kara stared into Mon-El’s eyes, trying to read what he was thinking. There was a lot going on in those grey eyes and on his face. Her own expressions were probably equally complicated.

Mon-El shot a glance at the doorway in the corner of the room then pulled her to his chest. She didn’t have to try very hard to melt into him. His mouth hidden by her hair, he whispered into her ear while he tapped her ring finger. “Not Daxamites. I’ll cover, you scout.” Kara quickly slipped on her Legion ring as she nodded against him, her mind racing. _He wasn’t leaving her. She didn’t know what he was doing, but he still loved her._

“I love you, Kara” he said, aloud. He let Kara go and she started walking slowly away from him toward the doorway. 

“Shar-Lin!” he called, in that same imperious tone. “There are additional matters to discuss regarding your request. I have asked Kara Zor-El to re-consider in private while you and I negotiate these details.” 

“I can’t believe this is happening, Mon-El. How can you leave me again?” Kara didn’t have to be that much of an actor; she _was_ feeling pretty incredulous about history seeming to repeat itself. In the future, no less.

“Kara, please don’t be like this. I have to go,” was Mon-El’s response. He managed to sound sincere, but Kara knew what it sounded like when he spoke from his heart and that wasn’t it. She reached the doorway, calling back, “You’re abandoning me. I can’t even look at you.” She steeled herself and didn’t look back.

Kara slipped through the doorway into the narrow corridor beyond. The corridor was like the cell where they’d arrived: featureless walls, dim red lighting. It twisted and turned like a maze, except without any intersections or alternative paths. 

She stopped walking. This wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She didn’t have her X-ray vision or super-hearing, but she still had her regular hearing and her wits. Kara began tapping lightly on the walls, listening for variations that might tell her there was something different on the other side. In the distance she could hear Mon-El still talking with the hologram, providing good cover for her activities and making it harder to listen for the echoes. 

The lighting in the hallway changed from the dim red to a brighter yellow. Mon-El’s discussions must be having an effect! Kara felt her strength start to return and she knew from experience that her skin’s invulnerability would quickly recover. It would take a bit longer for her other powers to be at full effect.

Finally! A section of wall where the sound was a bit more .. hollow? Kara tapped all around, finding the edges of the different-sounding section. She ran her fingertips over the area, locating a tiny crack that could be the edge of a door. A small area next to the crack seemed to be slightly indented. Kara pressed her fingertips to it and a doorway opened silently. She waited for the inevitable alarms or the sound of running feet, but none came.

Peering through the doorway, Kara saw another hallway, much shorter than the seemingly-endless one she stood in. Kara stepped through, losing the sound of Mon-El’s voice in the background. At the end of the hallway was a pressure door with a tiny window. Bringing her face to the window, Kara saw another door with another tiny window. An airlock! 

The helmet of a space suit appeared in the outer window. Kara couldn’t see through the suit’s visor, but the comet and L on the side of the helmet made it easy to guess who might be inside. She stepped into the airlock, closed the inner door and brought her face to the window. The space-suited figure raised its helmet visor, revealing a face Kara knew well: Imra Ardeen.

_Oh boy,_ Kara thought _._

* * *

The hologram of Shar-Lin reappeared. “Your Highness Mon-El, what are your wishes? Although we anticipate that your status will be different than under our previous.. monarchs, we will of course endeavour to meet your needs.”

“As a sign of good faith, I request that you start by temporarily establishing yellow-sun conditions on the ship. I am accustomed to this environment and it will take time to adjust.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The lighting in the room changed almost instantly.

“And you can stop using the title. Just Mon-El will do. Now, tell me about your reformed government structure. How does a constitutional monarch fit? Who has been leading since you left Earth before?”

The hologram began a lengthy description of checks, balances, powers, and vetoes, that Mon-El could tell was becoming more improvised as it went along. He could feel the tingling in his body as the yellow sunlight took effect. From Legion trips to other worlds, he knew that his speed usually recovered most quickly. 

He prompted the hologram’s monologue with a few additional questions while carefully scanning the room and listening for sounds from beyond. Nothing. The hologram droned on. He brought a hand up to scratch his beard, giving the impression of being deep in thought, but really just masking his tension while he waited for the right moment. _Okay_ , _now or never_.

Mon-El sprinted down the corridor, stopping when he reached the doorway Kara had discovered. He ducked through, quickly found the airlock, and jumped in, closing the inner hatch behind him. He peered out the tiny window in the airlock’s outer door. His heart jumped. The distortion against the background stars must be the stealthed Legion ship. _They must be maintaining distance to keep the stealth mode engaged_. 

His ring’s flight mode wouldn’t work this far from a planet’s surface, but the ring should let him breathe long enough to cross the gap. All he had to do was get the right trajectory. But how far did he have to go? No time to calculate.

_I’ve done stupider things,_ Mon-El thought. He activated his Legion ring, turned the manual lever beside the hatch, and pushed off toward the other ship. The few seconds it took to cross the distance were agonizing, but his confidence grew as the visual distortion of the hidden Legion ship grew larger in his field of vision.

A light showed in the darkness as the outer door of the Legion ship’s airlock opened, revealing Kara in her super suit and Imra in a spacesuit, both moving to the very edge of the airlock. They each reached out an arm to grab Mon-El and pull him inside, resulting in a three-way hug as the door closed and the airlock re-pressurized. Imra pulled off her spacesuit’s helmet; Mon-El and Kara de-activated their rings.

“Thanks,” he said. “You’re both sights for sore eyes.” 

In the close quarters of the airlock, held tight between the two women, Mon-El realized the potential awkwardness of the situation. He looked back and forth nervously from Imra to Kara. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine, Mon-El,” Imra emphasized the second word with a glance at Kara, leading them out of the airlock. “I’m glad we got you back. Relax.”

Now that they were safely on the Legion ship, reporter-Kara was instantly full of questions: “How did you know they weren’t Daxamites? What do they really want? How did you get away?”

“Later, Kara,” Mon-El chuckled as he hugged Kara close and kissed her cheek. “Let’s get out of here.”

  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second day of Kara’s visit to the future is quieter. Mostly.

The alien ship didn’t seem to be following them. Without the need for an emergency descent, the trip down to the surface in the Legion cruiser was just long enough for a couple of important events.

Kara suddenly realized she was famished and so got her first taste of thirty-first century food. “Tastes like peanut butter,” was her verdict. At least that’s what Mon-El, Imra, and the other Legionnaire on the ship, Rokk, thought they heard through Kara’s chomping and their own laughter.

Mon-El explained how he had figured out that their captors weren’t Daxamites. 

“Little things. The hologram did all its gesturing with its left hand; on Daxam, that’s unbelievably rude. It called me ‘Your Highness’. Not that I’m exactly claiming the throne,” he muttered, “but the correct title for an uncrowned monarch would have been ‘Your Grace’. And the ship’s artificial gravity was about two-thirds of Earth normal. Every Daxamite ship I was ever on had it set above Earth-normal.”

“Impressive,” was Imra’s deadpan comment.

And when Mon-El and Rokk went to the control center to confer with Legion HQ about the alien ship, Kara and Imra had a few minutes to talk.

They looked at each other. “We’re fine?” Kara asked, some doubt in her voice.

“I hope we can be, Kara,” Imra responded. “I know we had our differences over Pestilence, and it wasn’t easy for you to see Mon-El and me together.” Imra twisted her Legion ring as she spoke, not quite meeting Kara’s eyes. “But that’s over now. I’m so glad you were able to come for this visit. I really do want both of you to be happy.”

Kara exhaled, choosing her words carefully.

“Imra, I’m grateful to you for keeping Mon-El safe and .. content for so long,” she began. “I know you were in a very difficult position while he sorted out his feelings about both of us. But you betrayed him by lying about the mission and about where he could get back to me. It’s hard for me not to be angry about that.” Kara’s mouth set in a hard line.

Imra leaned forward. “Kara, please believe me. I did care for Mon-El and I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell him the whole truth. You know my reasons about the mission, and before that .. by the time Brainy figured out the time travel, we were already married, and..” Imra’s voice trailed off. “I hope both of you can forgive me.”

Kara’s face softened. “You did the wrong things for some of the right reasons. It’s pretty clear to me that Mon-El trusts you. And I hope you’ll keep looking after him.”

Imra smiled. “I’ll try. I don’t know if you remember, but he can be rather stubborn sometimes.”

Kara returned the smile. “He can. And thanks.”

* * *

Mon-El and Kara were dropped off at Legion HQ. Imra and Rokk left again to re-intercept the alien ship. Someone found Kara some civilian clothes. 

Listening to Mon-El’s debrief by the other Legionnaires, reporter-Kara got the answers to her questions. Garth had traced the ship’s trajectory back to an obscure archive in the Deneb system that held an ancient, automated repository of the genetic codes of star-faring species. Their best guess was that the archive’s AI had somehow gone rogue: rather than just maintaining the archive, it took over a ship and was using it to actively collect data from new species. The prospect of adding Daxamite and Kryptonian DNA to its collection must have been too enticing to pass up. The Legion planned to escort the ship back to the archive and re-install the AI somewhere it couldn’t go roaming around the galaxy.

Their discussion seemed to go on forever. Kara knew that it was important for Mon-El to know what was going on. She also knew that the time window’s clock was ticking. She struggled to contain her impatience, looking around the room and spotting a doorway that led to a balcony. _The Legion had one, too. Nice._ She headed outside.

Mon-El joined her and looked out over the city. His voice was apologetic. “Kara, I’m sorry that took so long. You know, I never intended for all of this to happen when I asked you to come here.”

She closed the distance between them. “How could you have known?” she replied. “That’s just how our lives go.” 

He took her hand where it rested next to his on the balcony railing. “When I last saw you, we had sort of gotten to know each other again. But a lot has changed since then.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled at him. “I’d like us to re-introduce ourselves.”

“I’d like that. What did you have in mind?” Kara asked.

“We have until tomorrow morning when the time window opens again. The thirty-first century still runs on the same calendar. Guess what day it is?” Mon-El said, with a grin.

“Umm, no idea?”

“It happens to be February fourteenth. The Day of the Valenteen isn’t celebrated here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have that first date we never got to finish. What do you say to a walk and some dinner?” he asked.

“Perfect,” Kara replied. Her smile could have lit up entire star systems.

* * *

They walked and talked for hours, holding hands or lightly brushing shoulders. The kiss on the alien ship had stoked the embers of their physical attraction, but neither felt ready to take things further yet. The habit of pushing down those feelings was too well-ingrained.

It was a beautiful day. Kara and Mon-El weren’t the only ones enjoying it, but they might as well have been for all the attention they paid to their surroundings or anyone else. Mon-El was well-known in the city, of course; more than a few incredulous glances were directed at them. The woman with him looked just like Supergirl! But it couldn’t be, could it? The citizens left them to their privacy.

At first their conversation was casual, swapping stories of Winn adjusting to the thirty-first century and Brainy adjusting to the twenty-first. More than a few giggles escaped from Kara and the grin hardly left Mon-El’s face.

Gradually their discussion grew more serious, with Kara sharing her feelings about the anti-alien sentiment in National City and Mon-El describing his frustration with the slow pace of the fight against Brainiac. 

Kara took a deep breath. She had resolved to say what was on her mind; who knew when she would see Mon-El again?

“When I got here, and then again when we were on the ship, it was really hard for me to let you take the lead.” She bit her bottom lip.

He said nothing, waited for her to continue.

“I was so confused when it seemed like it took you no time to decide to leave me again. I wish I had figured out what you were doing earlier.”

“Hey, you caught on pretty fast,” he reassured her, taking her hand. “And deciding to leave you would never be easy.” With those last words, his voice roughened, just a little.

“Thanks. Anyway, I just wanted to say .. again.. that you really are an amazing leader. This time and the Legion are lucky to have you.”

“Thanks. I still think we make a pretty good team,” Mon-El said as his grin returned.

They kept walking and eventually their conversation turned to their respective home planets. Kara related Clark and Lois’ decision to spend time on Argo, and her own disinclination to even think about returning. “I don’t know why. It’s just — out of sight, out of mind, I guess.”

“Before my parents came, I didn’t do much reminiscing about Daxam. At least, after you stopped mentioning it every other sentence,” he teased. “I just wanted to start a new life. You believed in me, gave me that chance. Have I mentioned lately how grateful I am for that?” Mon-El kissed Kara’s temple gently. 

His face grew more serious. “When I arrived here and had to start again, I had more time to remember, both the good and the bad.”

“If the ship had really been from Daxam, would you have gone with them?” Kara blurted out.

Mon-El stopped and turned to look at Kara. “I don’t know, Kara. I meant what I said before: I didn’t know how to be a good leader when they arrived nine years ago, but I know a lot more now. I know a lot more about duty now too. It wouldn’t have been an easy decision.” He squeezed her hand.

“You would have made a great king,” she smiled.

“Thanks. If you’d wanted to.. you would have made a pretty awesome queen. Just so you know,” he said, almost shyly. “But I know you have your own saving to do.”

Kara’s smile vanished and her eyes began to fill. “And here we are. Back to each having our own duties.”

“Hey,” he said, tipping her chin up so her eyes met his. “Let’s not go there just yet. We still have right now. And right now, I think it’s time for dinner.”

* * *

Mon-El walked them back to Legion headquarters — they could have flown, but that seemed a little conspicuous to Kara, not used to the idea of not having to hide her identity. He showed her to his small, spare, quarters in the building (“saves commuting time,” he explained), brought her a drink (“club soda hasn’t changed”), and proceeded to busy himself in the kitchen, different from its twenty-first century equivalent but still recognizable.

Kara sat in the living area, remembering past dinners in her loft in National City and trying to absorb everything that had happened in the past day. The whole thing was surreal. Was she really here, in the future? Did Mon-El really save her from an AI trying to capture their DNA? Had he really said he loved her?

Mon-El’s quiet humming while he chopped and stirred brought her back from her reverie. She glanced over at him and couldn’t suppress a smile. Watching his hands work, his forehead furrow as he concentrated, admiring the profile of his jaw.. she had missed him _so much_. And now she was here, with him.

He looked up at her. “What are you smiling about?”

“You. I’m just happy to be here with you.”

“Me too.” He came over to Kara and wrapped her in a hug. “I’m happy you’re here. I missed you so much.” She turned her head to kiss him, touching her lips lightly to his. “Mmm,” he responded. “That is very distracting. If you distract the cook, there won’t be any dinner.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” she replied, a grin on her face.

Dinner was simple, a salad-and-pasta combination that he’d made for her the first time a thousand years ago. Kara was hungry and dinner was delicious and she barely tasted it; she was preoccupied with the sight and sound of Mon-El across the table from her. She could feel the banked embers of her desire start to heat up: were her cheeks going to burst into flame as she looked at him? He grinned, chatted, and made her laugh, seemingly not as affected as she was.

When Mon-El stood up to clear the dishes, Kara was almost grateful for the respite from his close presence. She leaned back in her chair for a moment and took a deep drink of her club soda to cool down. He returned from the kitchen with two small plates - _chocolate lava cake, how had he remembered?_ \- and an even smaller box that he set on the table in front of her.

“Happy Day of the Valenteen, Kara.”

“Mon-El, you shouldn’t have. I don’t have anything for you.”

“You’re here. That’s more than enough.”

Kara opened the box to find a red-and-blue pendant on a thin gold chain. “Since I still have your necklace, I thought a replacement would be fitting,” he said, quietly.

“It’s beautiful, thank you! Would you put it on, please?” she beamed at him.

Mon-El moved behind Kara to fasten the clasp at the back of her neck as she held her blonde curls out of the way. He leaned down to kiss her cheek but at the last moment she turned to meet his lips with hers. He trembled against her—just a little—and now Kara could feel the excitement growing in him too. Mon-El broke the kiss and returned to his side of the table.

“I don’t want to make you rush through dessert,” he said. “But I do have one more activity planned,” and he raised both eyebrows slowly.

“What?” Kara almost squeaked.

“Eat your dessert,” he laughed. What followed was possibly history’s fastest-ever chocolate lava cake demolition.

“You’ll remember that both Krypton and Daxam had dancing,” Mon-El smiled. He tapped a small wall screen next to him. The room lights dimmed and slow, soft music began to play. Mon-El stood and extended his hand to Kara.

She rose and let him spin her into his arms. They swayed together, slowly moving around the room, enjoying the warmth of their embrace. Kara breathed deeply, taking in Mon-El’s scent and reassuring herself that it hadn’t changed. He touched his cheek to her hair, feeling its softness and reassuring himself that it hadn’t changed.

Held in Mon-El’s arms, close to his chest, Kara could feel his heartbeat. It was reassuring and comforting and slowly accelerating. How could she feel so at peace when her own heart was already hammering so fast?

Kara tilted her head back and looked into Mon-El’s eyes, stormy grey around wide pupils. He matched her stare and leaned slowly down to kiss her. She closed her eyes, opening her lips, and tightened her hold on him as she felt his strength match hers. One of his hands left her waist and travelled up her spine to run through her hair. Her hands splayed across his muscled back.

They broke the kiss, heat rising between them. Eyes locked, breath short. Just like that first time, so long ago.

Kara raised herself on her toes and pulled him closer, bringing Mon-El’s hips into contact with hers. Her mouth captured his hungrily and he responded with a low growl that left no question about the desire he felt.

“Kara..”

“Mon-El..”

“Too soon?”

“Not soon enough.”

He bent slightly to nibble at Kara’s earlobe and run his lips down her neck to her collarbone; she moaned in response. Abruptly he put one arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders, scooped her up to the sound of her giggles, and carried her to bed.

If the Legion headquarters measured more seismic activity than usual that night, the other Legionnaires were too polite to mention it.

* * *

They were back in the small room at Legion headquarters where Kara had arrived. The time window portal was open and waiting, Kara’s duffle bag still on the floor where she had dropped it. They faced each other, holding hands.

“When we were on the ship, we both said some words...that sounded pretty serious.”

“I meant them.”

“So did I.”

“Say it again?” they both asked, breaking into laughter at their simultaneous request.

“I love you, Kara Zor-El. I always will. You are my light.”

“I love you too, Mon-El. You’re always with me,” she touched the necklace.

Kara took Mon-El’s face in her hands and brought it to hers in a long, loving kiss. They kept eye contact after finally stopping to breathe. A few tears shone in her blues and his greys, but their smiles outshone both.

Still facing him, Kara picked up her bag and stepped through the portal. One step back and she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for making it all the way to the end! Happy Day of the Valenteen!
> 
> Extra Valentines’ love goes to folks who read and commented on the earlier chapters. I really appreciate it.
> 
> [Added later: if you want to see what happened between the last two scenes, I’ve put this in a separate work, #4 in the series.]


End file.
